Paris Masters 2023: Carlos Alcaraz vs Roman Safiullin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Carlos Alcaraz vs Roman Safiullin
Date: October 31, 2023
Tournament: Paris Masters 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Accor Arena, Paris, France
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Hard (Indoor)
Prize money: €5,779,335
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime
Carlos Alcaraz vs Roman Safiullin preview
After getting a bye in the first round, World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will face off against Roman Safiullin in the second round of the 2023 Paris Masters.
Alcaraz proved that his success last year was no fluke and surpassed his previous achievements this year. He added another Grand Slam title to his resume, as he put an end to Novak Djokovic's reign at Wimbledon by defeating him in the final this year.
Alcaraz also made it to the semifinals of the French Open and the US Open, being the defending champion at the latter as well. At the Masters level, he clinched two titles at Indian Wells and Madrid. He also advanced to the final in Cincinnati, but let the title slip from his grasp as Djokovic staged an epic comeback.
Alcaraz also won in Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and Queen's Club during the year. Following the US Open, he competed in his first Asian swing. He made it to the semifinals in Beijing and lost in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters. He then withdrew from the Swiss Indoors to recover from an injury.
Safiullin, meanwhile, kicked off his campaign here in the qualifying rounds. He secured wins over Arthur Cazaux and Jordan Thompson to make the main draw, where he took on Alexandre Muller in the first round.
Safiullin blew an early lead in the opening set but managed to edge out his opponent in the tie-break to clinch the set. A single break of serve in the second set sealed the match in the Russian's favor as he scored a 7-6(4), 6-3 win.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Roman Safiullin head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Roman Safiullin odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Carlos Alcaraz vs Roman Safiullin prediction
Safiullin has already notched up three wins in Paris, starting from the qualifying rounds. He was quite solid against Muller, but will need to step it up against Alcaraz.
As for the Spaniard, a lot depends on how he's feeling after his brief injury hiatus. He's also fighting to take back the top ranking from Djokovic, and the additional pressure of it did affect his performance earlier.
Safiullin's had some good results over the last few weeks. He reached his maiden ATP final in Chengdu, which he lost against Alexander Zverev. He avenged the defeat by ousting the German from the Shanghai Masters later on.
If Alcaraz is fully healthy, he's got enough juice in his game to handle everything Safiullin throws at him. The latter is a tough competitor, but the Spaniard will be backed to make it through this clash.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.